1
Stage 1 of 4
zarāfa
Arabic · medieval
"giraffe"
possibly from an East African source, describing the tall animal
2
Stage 2 of 4
giraffa
Italian · c. 1400s
"giraffe"
entered Europe alongside giraffes gifted to Italian courts
3
Stage 3 of 4
girafe
French · c. 1500s
"giraffe"
spelling shifted slightly as it passed through French
4
Stage 4 of 4
giraffe
English · c. 1600s
"the giraffe"
replaced the earlier English word "camelopard"
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